Cultural and Heritage Tourism in Asia and the Pacific is the result of lengthy discussions between the editors and colleagues in many countries and is based partially on a double special issue of the Asia Pacific Journal of
Tourism Research. The call for papers for the special issue generated such a large response in submissions that two issues of the Journal (Vol. 9(3), Heritage in the Asia
Pacific and Vol. 9(4), Cultural Tourism in the Asia Pacific) were required to publish some of the papers submitted. There were still a number of excellent papers remaining, and given that there is an ongoing debate occurring on many of the issues raised, the editors
decided to publish the collection of papers from the special issue with a number of new chapters as a book. We believe that collectively the contributions provide a benchmark of current scholarly research into the main
issues of heritage and culture in the Asia Pacific Region. While we acknowledge that the collection of chapters is not a definitive statement of the breath of research currently
underway, it does provide a useful summary and highlights the ongoing nature of the issues that are the subject of scholarly debate.
The overall aim of the book is to create a
collection of work that both enhances
current understanding and provides a guide
to future resear.cb. In developing this book
the editors were mindful of 'he need '0
include chapters by scholars within the
region, as well as those who observe from
afar, to provide a range of contrasting perspec~
tives. This introductory chapter outlines the
structure of the book before undertaking a
review of SOme of the many issues raised by
contributing authors.


Nonrigid point set registration is widely applied in the tasks of computer vision and pattern recognition. Coherent point drift (CPD) is a classical method for nonrigid point set registration. However, to solve spatial transformation functions, CPD has to compute inversion of a M*M matrix per iteration with time complexity O(M3). By introducing a simple corresponding constraint, we develop a fast implementation of CPD. The most advantage of our method is to avoid matrix-inverse operation. Before the iteration begins, our method requires to take eigenvalue decomposition of a M*M matrix once. After iteration begins, our method only needs to update a diagonal matrix with linear computational complexity, and perform matrix multiplication operation with time complexity approximately O(M2) in each iteration. Besides, our method can be further accelerated by the low-rank matrix approximation. Experimental results in 3D point cloud data show that our method can significantly reduce computation burden of the registration process, and keep comparable performance with CPD on accuracy.


The Great Assam Earthquake of 1897 stands as a stark warning to cities on the floodplains of South Asia, including Bangladesh's densely populated capital, Dhaka. Perched on thick, alluvial sediments 200 kilometers south of the epicenter, Dhaka was badly damaged in 1897. The ground under much of the city liquefied, destabilizing foundations. Thanks to the earthquake's gradual buildup, most people in Dhaka managed to escape before buildings disintegrated, but the city may not be so lucky next time. Scientists are finding that both its social features and its geology, including a hidden fault that seismologists believe is gathering stress beneath the sediments, could make the area more vulnerable than appreciated. Few structures in this city of 13 million are built to resist shaking. Shoddy construction is prevalent across Bangladesh and many other developing nations in seismic danger zones. Language: en


Mechanical degradation of hydroxyapatite ceramics due to the slow crack growth was observed in water. Microstructural crack on the surface of hydroxyapatite initiated by grain boundary dissolution in liquid environment resulting in particle loosening and microstructural-level degradation, followed by a drastic decrease of mechanical properties. In this study, slow crack growth by the dissolution behavior of hydroxyapatite ceramics was investigated based on microstructural observation by field emission microscopy. The crack growth and morphological change of hydroxyapatite surface, especially at the initial stage of dissolution and related surface roughness were observed with immersion time. The surface dissolution occurred from the initial stage of immersion showing increase in surface roughness. Following certain period of immersion time, the surface dissolution initiated at grain boundaries and generated many separated grains.


Global address space parallel programming models can be an effective alternative to send/receive style communication, simplifying programming or code generation and increasing performance for certain application types. Traditionally, global address space mechanisms have been implemented in hardware in order to provide the necessary communication performance and responsiveness. However new high performance cluster messaging systems now allow global address space mechanisms to be realized efficiently in software. We describe a high performance one sided communication model that is implemented as a software layer on top of the Illinois Fast Messages (FM) system. We evaluate several different software implementation architectures for the remote agent, characterizing their differing performance characteristics. Our Put/Get FM implementation achieves peak bandwidths for put/get operations of 67 MBytes/s, overheads of a few microseconds, and remote read latencies as low as 26 microseconds on a Myrinet connected PC cluster. This implementation was released publicly as part of HPVM 1.0 in August 1997, and is receiving significant usage. It has been used for an implementation of the Global Arrays library and also serves as a back-end target for PGI's commercial HPF compiler.


second world war. Although a Nazi, he refused to experiment on helpless human guinea pigs, saying this was a price he would never pay for the realisation of his dreams. Those in the UK who seek to change the law to allow experimentation on patients with mental incapacity, without their consent, would do well to follow his example. This is a particularly fraught area of medical ethics, and any such research should only be done if it is likely to be of some benefit to the patient. Another fascinating chapter is about the development of anaesthetics. An English clergyman, and accomplished chemist, Joseph Priestley, prepared pure oxygen and nitrous oxide back in 1774. Then he inspired Dr Thomas Beddoe to found the Medical Pneumatic Institution, and Humphrey Davy was appointed first director. Davy tried nitrous oxide on himself and discovered its analgesic properties, but doctors ignored his findings for 40 years. People lived dangerously in the past but the lack of regulation enabled inspired individuals to explore their creativity in freedom. There are many stories of courage and daring in the book, not least that of Dr Frederick Prescott of Burroughs Welcome, who in 1944 consented to be the human guinea pig for curare. There are nuggets of interest to medical ethicists in the book, but you have to discover them for yourself. It is not primarily a book about medical ethics. Some eloquent quotes come from Dr Stephen Elek, once professor of bacteriology at St George's Hospital, London. He said: "If anything goes wrong and the skid row bum dies, and the experimenter has not done it on himself, he is liable for murder. It's as simple as that. A man is entitled to risk his own life. He is not entitled to risk somebody else's". In the final chapter, Altman looks at what motivates people to experiment on themselves. He also considers the limitations of self-experimentation. He stresses that the risk of performing an unethical human experiment is enormous. Increased attention to the question of who goes first, he argues, would improve the quality of the informed consent process that the Nuremberg Code has made mandatory.


We propose a colorless optical network unit (ONU) comprised of a Fabry-Pérot filter (FPF) and a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) for all-optical clock recovery of the downstream signal, followed by a Mach-Zehnder modulator (MZM) as the upstream modulator. The all-optical clock recovery performs data erasure allowing for efficient wavelength reuse of the downstream signal for upstream remodulation. Operation at a full-duplex 10-Gb/s symmetrical data rate and 20-dB loss budget is demonstrated over fiber spans of 50 km.


In the recent years there has been a growing interest in the design and implementation of smart homes. The evaluation of these approaches requires massive datasets of measurements from deployed sensors in real prototypes. While datasets obtained by real smart homes are freely available, they are not sucient for comparing dierent approaches and techniques in a variety of congurations. In this work we propose a smart home dataset generation strategy based on a simulated environment populated with virtual autonomous agents, sensors and devices that allow to customize and reproduce a smart space using series of useful parameters.


Abstract Measures restricting data flows outside one's borders, including mandatory data/server localization measures, are not only a barrier to trade, but also largely ineffective in achieving better internet security or trust. Nevertheless, governments deploy such measures, primarily on grounds of cybersecurity and privacy, potentially violating their obligations under the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS). In this article, I investigate whether GATS-inconsistent measures may be justified under GATS Art. XIV when aimed at ensuring privacy or cybersecurity, and, if so, whether GATS Art. XIV effectively balances trade and internet policy. As the internet governance framework is complex and somewhat ambiguous, applying GATS Art. XIV to cybersecurity/privacy measures necessitates balancing of trade liberalization principles and domestic internet policy. This exercise can be effective in weeding out data localization measures disguised as privacy/cybersecurity measures, particularly by employing relevant technical and factual evidence. However, given the lack of binding international law/norms on these issues, GATS Art. XIV has a limited role, particularly in cases involving direct conflict between multistakeholder/transnational internet norms and domestic internet policies, or where the measures are founded on contentious standards/benchmarks on privacy/cybersecurity. Ultimately, ensuring free and secure data flows requires a multidimensional policy response, including strengthening linkages between trade law and internet governance.


Endorser credibility is one of factors which influence muslim fashion development. In the other hand, it is the challenge for Indonesia is to be a centre of muslim fashion in the world. The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of endorser credibility on purchase intention with three types consumers. A technique of sampling method in this research was quota purposive sampling. Total sample size was 225 respondents from each 75 housewives, 75 employees, and 75 female students. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistic and SEM with PLS Approach. The results of this study shows that the credibility endorser have significant effect on purchase intention to female students. While the brand credibility and advertising credibility partially have no significant effect on purchase intention. On the type consumer housewives and employees partially have no significant effect on purchase intention. Simultaneously, advertising credibility and brand credibility affect significantly on purchase intention


Gene duplication events are thought to be major drivers of diversity in angiosperm lineages. For most duplicated genes, one paralog is quickly lost to fractionation or pseudogenization. Alternatively, random mutations in one or both paralogs sometimes allow them to develop new or specialized roles. We hypothesize a current shift from redundancy to subfunctionalization between the paralogs AtFLIP4-1 and AtFLIP4-2 (Filament-like Protein 4), two genes coding for uncharacterized coiled-coil proteins in Arabidopsis thaliana. Phenotypes differ for single knock-out mutants (flip4-1 plants are sickly with low fertility; flip4-2 plants are indistinguishable from the wild-type). Furthermore, FLIP4-1 is highly expressed in sperm and pollen while localization of FLIP4-2 to the chloroplast has been observed in green protoplast culture. On the other hand, double knock-out mutants appear to be inviable, suggesting a redundant and vital FLIP4 function. To explore potential genetic interactions between the genes and their product functions, reverse-transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was used to quantify the expression of both genes throughout the development of the plant in the different mutants. Furthermore, network analysis tools were used to explore their potential functions. Both genes were expressed at relatively low levels in most leaf and reproductive organ tissues, while FLIP4-2 appeared to be upregulated late in leaf development and in buds and siliques. The expression profiles of the two paralogs were not found to correlate with each other well, and their interaction partners differ, suggesting subfunctionalization. Furthermore, the expression pattern of FLIP4-2 is consistent with a role in senescence or stress responses.


Zein is an insoluble, yet swellable, biopolymer that has been extensively studied for its applications in drug delivery. Here, we screened the effect of co-excipients on the swelling and drug release of zein tablets. All throughout the study the behavior of zein was benchmarked against that of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) and ethylcellulose (EC). Tablets containing either zein, HPMC, or EC alone or in combination with co-excipients, namely lactose, dicalcium phosphate (DCP), microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), or sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) were prepared by direct compression. Matrix swelling was studied by taking continuous pictures of the tablets over 20 h, using a USB microscope connected to a PC. The overall size change and the axial and radial expansion of the tablets were automatically extrapolated from the pictures by image analysis. Moreover, drug release from tablets containing ternary mixtures of zein, co-excipients and 10% propranolol HCl was also studied. Results showed that zein matrices swelled rapidly at first, but then a plateau was reached, resulting in an initial rapid drug burst followed by slow drug release. HPMC tablets swelled to a greater extent and more gradually, providing a more constant drug release rate. EC did not practically swell, giving a nearly constant drug release pattern. Among the additives studied, only MCC increased the swelling of zein up to nearly three-fold, and thus suppressed drug burst from zein matrices and provided a nearly constant drug release over the test duration. Overall, the incorporation of co-excipients influenced the swelling behavior of zein to a greater extent compared to that of HPMC and EC, indicating that the molecular interactions of zein and additives are clearly more complex and distinct.


* Corresponding author, Tel : +604-599 5999 ext 6462, Fax : +604 594 1013 Abstract-Currently, combining multiple neural networks appears to be a very promising approach in improving neural network generalisation since it is very difficult, if not impossible, to develop a perfect single neural network. In this paper, individual networks are developed from bootstrap re-samples of the original training and testing data sets. Instead of combining all the developed networks, this paper proposes selective combination techniques: forward selection. These techniques essentially combine those individual networks that, when combined, can significantly improve model generalisation. The proposed techniques are applied to modelling irreversible exothermic reaction in CSTR. Application results demonstrate that the proposed techniques can significantly improve model generalisation and perform better than aggregating all the individual networks.


The emergence of service robot into human daily life in the past years has opened up various challenges including human-robot interaction, joint-goal achievement and machine learning. Social-aware navigation also gains vast research attention in enhancing the social capabilities of service robots. Human motions are stochastic and social conventions are very complex. Sophisticated approaches are needed for a robot to abide to these social rules and perform obstacle avoidance. To maintain the level of social comfort and achieve a given task, the robot navigation is now no longer a search for a shortest collision-free path, but a multi-objective problem that requires a unified social-aware navigation framework. A careful selection of navigation components including global planner, local planner, the prediction model and a suitable robot platform is also required to offer an effective navigation amidst the dynamic human environment. Hence, this review paper aims to offer insights for service robot implementation by highlighting four varieties of navigation frameworks, various navigation components and different robot platforms.


Purpose: The research studies the production system having multiple items being processed on the same production line. The objectives are to (1) investigate the influence of production sequence on the optimal value of production run size, (2) explore the effect of production sequence on the maximum inventory level, which can affect the storage space required, and (3) propose a method to determine the proper production sequence in order to minimize the required storage space.Design/methodology/approach: Finding that the optimal production sequence, which yields the lowest storage space required, is independent of the production run size, the research problem is divided into two independent subproblems. The first subproblem is to determine the optimal production run size to minimize the total variable cost. Here, the solution obtained from the classical multiple items EPQ model still holds. The second subproblem is to explore the proper production sequence in order to minimize the storage space required. The relationship between the production sequence and the value of maximum inventory level is determined and formulated. To explore the proper production sequence, a genetic algorithm is developed. For the performance evaluation, two experimental studies are conducted. The first experiment is to compare the solution obtained from the proposed method with the optimal solution yielded from the enumeration method on 360 small size problems. The second experiment is conducted on 180 large size problems. The result obtained from the proposed method is compared with the result yielded from the Largest Rho First (LRF) heuristic constructed by arranging the production of each item according to the ratio between the demand rate and production rate.Findings: It has been found that the optimal production sequence is independent of the production run size. Nonetheless, different production sequences yield different required storage spaces. With the proper production sequence, the manufacturer can reduce the total space required to keep its inventory. The proposed genetic algorithm can be applied to determine the proper production sequence in a reasonable amount of time. For the small size problem of 8 and 10 production items, the proposed genetic algorithm provides the solution with the maximum percentage deviation of 0.307 percent from the optimal solution. For the large size problem of 15 production items, the proposed genetic algorithm outperforms the LRF heuristic for all 180 problems. This result is more pronounced when the slack proportion is getting smaller.Research limitations/implications: According to the research model, no shortages are allowed. Therefore, the model is applicable for the production system having the summation value of the ratio between demand rate and production rate for all items not greater than one.Originality/value: Those traditional research involving the determination of optimal production run size and production sequence in the system having multiple items being produced on the same production line differs from each other in their production environments. However, most of them still have the objective function of minimizing the total system cost incurred. To the best of our literature searching, none of them discussed the influence of production sequence on the total inventory level, which directly affects the required storage space, one of the critical issues facing by many manufacturers. The originality of this work is to show that different production sequence yields different total storage space required and proposed the method to determine proper production sequence.


1. The wing muscles of locusts are supplied with air by means of a system of air tubes which communicate only with the first three pairs of spiracles. Both in locusts and in dragonflies each muscle receives a direct supply ending in a large air sac, the primary supply. It is automatically ventilated by thoracic pumping due to the movements of nota and pleura which accompany the wing movements. 2. The secondary supply of transverse diffusion tracheae branches off from the primary supply, often according to geometrical patterns suited for quantitative studies. 3. During flight, thoracic pumping appears to be the only mechanism responsible for the ventilation of the thorax in grasshoppers, dragonflies, moths and beetles, while Hymenoptera and Diptera rely on the usual abdominal pumping. 4. In many wing muscles from large insects there is a wide shunt between the primary supply and the terminal air sac, resembling the shunting mesobronchus in the lung of birds. In both groups of animals the shunt is considered to be of little significance during flight. 5. In insects the shunt facilitates diffusion when the thorax is not ventilated during rest. 6. In resting birds under thermal stress, it is concluded that contraction of the epithelial sphincter muscles in the parabronchi makes possible hyperventilation of the moist air passages via the mesobronchus, removing excess heat by evaporation without causing apnoea due to the washing out of CO 2 .


Pseudomonas aeruginosa colonizing the lung of cystic fibrosis patients is responsible for a decline in health and poor prognosis for these patients. Once established, growth of P. aeruginosa in microcolonies makes it very difficult to eradicate the organisms by antimicrobial treatment. An artificial sputum medium was developed to mimic growth of P. aeruginosa in the cystic fibrosis lung habitat and it was found that the organisms grew in tight microcolonies attached to sputum components. Several genes, such as algD, oprF and lasR but not fliC, were required for tight microcolony formation. Among the sputum components, amino acids, lecithin, DNA, salt and low iron were required for tight microcolony formation. Amino acids were also shown to be responsible for various other cystic-fibrosis-specific phenotypes of P. aeruginosa, such as diversification of colony morphology, alterations in LPS structure and hyperexpression of OprF. Since the amino acid content of sputum is elevated in severe lung disease, it is suggested that the tight microcolony biofilm is maintained in these conditions and that they contribute to the vicious cycle of disease severity and failure to eradicate the organism. Thus, growth of P. aeruginosa in artificial sputum medium is an appropriate model of chronic lung colonization and may be useful for evaluating therapeutic procedures and studying antibiotic-resistance mechanisms.


In this paper, we implement a WDM-Nyquist transmission system with 12.5 GHz channel spacing generated through an Optical Flat Comb Source (OFCS). Each channel could carry one of four different modulation format as Polarization Multiplexing-Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (POLMUX-QPSK), Polarization Multiplexing-Differential Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (POLMUX-DQPSK), Polarization Multiplexing-Quadrature Amplitude Modulation based on 16 (POLMUX-16QAM) and 64 (POLMUX-64QAM) with Return-to-Zero (RZ) pulse carving and 33% duty cycle. Numerical simulations of 1 Tbit/s superchannel have been carried out, in order to evaluate the performances of the different modulation format using appropriate metrics. We discuss their back-to-back receiver sensitivity and the required Optical-to-Noise Signal Ratio (OSNR) for 3.8•10-3 and 10-9 Bit Error Rate (BER). We find that POLMUXQPSK has the best receiver sensitivity and the lower OSNR penalty compared to the other modulation formats. With POLMUX-QPSK sensitivity as reference, we can observe a power penalty of 13.4 dB (for a BER equal to 3.8•10-3) for POLMUX-64QAM. In addition, we can observe an OSNR penalty of 21 dB in OSNR for POLMUX-64QAM compared to POLMUX-QPSK modulation format for a BER equal to 3.8•10-3. However, it is important to mention that POLMUX- 64QAM presents higher Spectral Efficiency (SE). We study also the robustness of these four optical modulation formats for transmission of 1 Tbit/s in dispersion compensated WDM-Nyquist systems using two kinds of transmission fibers: SMF (Single Mode Fiber) and NZDSF (Non-Zero Dispersion Shifted Fiber). We find that POLMUX-QPSK is the suitable modulation format in dispersion compensated WDM-Nyquist systems using NZDSF fiber. We simulate the nonlinear effect tolerance by considering self-phase modulation (SPM), cross-phase modulation (XPM) and four-wave mixing (FWM) for the different modulation format. We observe that POLMUX-QPSK has the best robustness against the cited nonlinear fiber effects in NZDSF fiber.


This work aimed to analyze cagaita nectar subjected to different thermal and non-thermal treatments regarding its quality over 30 days of storage (5°C). Ultra (U) and thermosonication (T) were the techniques used for 30 and 60 minutes of processing samples. These techniques proved to be effective to preserve physicochemical quality, regarding rheology and texture, since ultra and thermosonicated samples had their consistency increased when compared to the pasteurized sample over 30 days, a desirable factor for a fruit nectar. Samples treated more intensely with ultrasound and temperature (Pasteurized, U 25°C/60 min and T 60°C/ 30 min) showed higher soluble solids content. The sample U 25°C/60 min increased its brightness, reduced its firmness and also its consistency after 30 storage days. For all samples there was an increase in carotenoids content and a maintenance of viscosity and cohesiveness (texture) over 30 days, thus indicating that the used treatments can be feasible instead of pasteurization, maintaining the shelf life of cagaita nectar in the time evaluated.


. Ribbing's disease is a rare form of sclerosing bone dysplasia characterized by exuberant yet benign endosteal bone, and periosteum formation in the diaphysis of long bones. Diagnosis relies on exclusionary criteria, as the primary clinical manifestations entail progressive pain unresponsive to analgesic therapy, accompanied by serological markers within normal ranges. Pain management constitutes the cornerstone of treatment, with surgery appearing to offer the most efficacious approach, despite the absence of a standardized therapeutic algorithm. The diagnostic and therapeutic delays associated with Ribbing's disease, reaching up to 16 years, exert a profound impact on patients' quality of life. Hence, the purpose of our work is to present a case report of Ribbing's disease and conduct a comprehensive literature review on the subject matter.


This study aimed to explore the frequency of library anxiety among the medical students (first year to fourth year) of Khyber Medical College (KMC), one of the oldest medical institutes of Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Out of 1500 populations of the study, data were collected from 306 students using a convenient sampling technique. The AQAK library anxiety instrument was used to measure the respondents' library anxiety level and significance differences with respect to respondents' gender and their level/year of study. The study found that the respondents' library anxiety level with respect to ''library staff' were little higher than the 'user knowledge'. This study also reported that no significance difference was found between the male and female students with respect to library anxiety. However, the library anxiety mean score for the first-year students were little higher than the final year students. This study has not only filled a gap in the literature with respect to examining the library anxiety of medical students in the study context, but would also help the competent authority and medical librarians to formulate effective strategic plan to overcome the library anxiety level among the medical students, improve library services and provide users education.


High-quality Bragg gratings with refractive index modulations > 7 × 10-4 were induced in highly nonlinear bismuth oxide glass fibers using ultrafast infrared radiation and a phase mask. Grating reflectivities approaching 95% for a 6-mm-long grating were achieved. Annealing tests show good thermal stability of the grating structure below 220°C. The Bragg resonance shift with temperature is observed to be 3-4 times higher than similar gratings in silica fiber.


Prior to 2020, empirical research and reports on approaches to education during health crises were limited. They focused primarily on reporting local-level response and provided only limited analysis. Various historic epidemics, like SARS, Ebola, and HIV/AIDS, provided important lessons about educational efficacy during major health emergencies. However, the sudden emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic led to an explosion of research on educating during a worldwide health crisis. This integrative literature review (Torraco 2005) uses the INEE Minimum Standards framework to conceptualize the response to pandemics and epidemics from 1990 to 2020. The research analyzes 124 empirical studies, practitioner and governmental reports, and historic accounts of Ebola, SARS, and other epidemics, as well as early responses to COVID-19, in order to understand how education stakeholders continued educating during widespread communicable illnesses. The high-level themes that emerged included the foundational role of context and community support; access to an equitable education in the digital age; the social-emotional wellbeing of teachers and students; teachers' role in adapting curriculum and pedagogy; the need for additional training and support for teachers; and the opportunity for a creative shift in practices and policies in education.


Abstract. Contours are important data to delineate the landform on a map. A contour tree provides an object-oriented description of landforms and can be used to enrich the topological information. The traditional contour tree is used to store topological relationships between contours in a hierarchical structure and allows for the identification of eminences and depressions as sets of nested contours. This research proposes an improved contour tree so-called spatial contour tree that contains not only the topological but also the geometric information. It can be regarded as a terrain skeleton in 3-dimention, and it is established based on the spatial nodes of contours which have the latitude, longitude and elevation information. The spatial contour tree is built by connecting spatial nodes from low to high elevation for a positive landform, and from high to low elevation for a negative landform to form a hierarchical structure. The connection between two spatial nodes can provide the real distance and direction as a Euclidean vector in 3-dimention. In this paper, the construction method is tested in the experiment, and the results are discussed. The proposed hierarchical structure is in 3-demintion and can show the skeleton inside a terrain. The structure, where all nodes have geo-information, can be used to distinguish different landforms and applied for contour generalization with consideration of geographic characteristics.


OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of falls in people over 65 years old institutionalized and to know the elderly profile of those who suffered falls in the last 12 months. METHOD: It was performed a transversal-descriptive study. The instruments used were the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE-35 Lobo, 1979) and the Questionnaire (1989) for the study of falls in the elderly. It was collected the following variables: age, sex, BMI, weight, height, assistive devices for ambulation, fear of falling, falling place, difficulty in actions, sort of footwear, fall time, lighting at the fall time, objects that could favour the fall, type of fall and contact with the health system. RESULTS: All of the participants in this study were 51 valid elderly and institutionalized. In the last 12 months, 21 individuals suffered a fall. This is equivalent to 41,17% in both sexes, being a 61,91% for women and 38,09% for men. The BMI average in all of the study participants amounts to 26,6 kg/m2. By the MCA, it was observed how the overweight variable is, without any doubt, linked with suffering a fall. In the Mantel-Haenszel test, it was obtained that women between 85-90 years old had a 42% more probability of falling. The places with the highest prevalence of falls were inside the nursing home with 71,4%. The women reported a fear sensation in order to suffer a second fall by 84,6% and the men by 75% over the total falls which were produced in both sexes. From the elderly who suffered falls, 52,38% used technical assistance to ambulate, compared to the 47,61% who didn't use. The footwear, which was used the most at the time of the fall, was slippers with 38,1%. Most falls took place in the morning with a percentage of 47,6% and the 90,5% of the falls occurred with an optimal lighting and in the 71,4% of the falls, there wasn't anything that favoured them. The 66,7% of the falls didn't need health care after them and the 52,4% of the falls had no physical consequences. The main difficulties that arise in our elderly are run and roam. CONCLUSIONS: The record of the falls has allowed to know the falls prevalence which corresponds to 41,17% in both sexes. It's usually a woman aged between 85 and 90 years old with a MMSE-35 of 31,4 points and a BMI of 26,6 kg/m2 on average. The falls occur inside the nursing home and showed a high fear of faIling. The footwear used was slippers without technical assistance to ambulate. Most of the falls took place in the morning with optimal lighting conditions and without any object that had favoured the fall. The majority of the falls didn't present immediate consequences after them and they didn't seek healthcare. Therefore, it can be assumed that the falls could be influenced by intrinsic factors, maybe the elderly comorbidity could influence. It's clear that the furniture of the institution is not a decisive factor, although the highest prevalence appears inside the nursing home, but it was found that the elderly spend most of their time inside the nursing home. We're facing a public health problem, for our country's health system doesn't have an accurate estimate referring to the falls prevalence in the elderly population. Language: es


The aim of this research is to evaluate to what extent the actual level and dynamics of financial dollarization prevalent in Latin America can be explained by the portfolio approach proposed by Ize and Levi Yeyati (2003). Inasmuch as the result of a portfolio optimization is sensible to the estimation of the variance-covariance matrix, this paper considers several alternatives to estimate the expected volatility by means of historical data so as to resemble two polar cases: short-memory and long-memory adaptive expectations. The main finding is that, for the period 1995-2005, financial dollarization in Latin America can be partially explained by the MVP ratio only if long-memory of past volatility events is assumed. Additional results are reported for highly dollarized countries.


Fibrous dysplasia is a benign, slowly progressive bone disorder, in which normal bone is replaced by fibrous tissue. It is called McCune Albright syndrome when associated with skin hyperpigmentation and endocrinological disorders. We report a rare case of McCune Albright syndrome in a boy, who presented bilateral and diffuse involvement of orbits but few external craniofacial distortions.


The effects of increased geometrical closure on the behaviour of the recycling and intrinsic impurities are investigated in JET Mark I, Mark IIA and Mark IIGB pumped divertors. Increasing the divertor closure leads to a significant improvement in exhaust for both deuterium and recycling impurities. However, the impurity enrichment in the exhaust gases remains unchanged due to a simultaneous increase in deuterium and impurity compression in the divertor. A comparison is made for helium, neon and argon under different plasma conditions. In addition, the operation of the Mark II and Mark IIGB divertors has shown that Zeff is reduced with the improved divertor closure in the L mode discharges, although no obvious changes in the Zeff values have been observed in the ELMy H modes. The divertor target surface temperature has a strong influence on intrinsic carbon production. The carbon source in the Mark II and Mark IIGB divertors is significantly higher than that in the Mark I divertor, which is attributed to enhanced chemical sputtering at the increased divertor tile temperature of the Mark II and Mark IIGB divertors (related to the divertor cooling system), as opposed to the increased closure. The consequences of this elevated yield for plasmas under different operation conditions are discussed, and further evidence, obtained from a specific wall/divertor temperature reduction experiment, is presented. The effect of the divertor screening on the chemically produced impurities is investigated using the EDGE2D/NIMBUS/DIVIMP codes for the different recycling regimes and comparisons are made with experimental observations from the Mark I, Mark IIA and Mark IIAP divertors taking into account the change in chemical sputtering yield due to the different tile temperatures of these divertors.


The kinetic collection equation (KCE) describes the evolution of the average droplet spectrum due to succes- sive events of collision and coalescence. Fluctuations and non-zero correlations present in the stochastic coalescence process would imply that the size distributions may not be correctly modeled by the KCE. In this study we expand the known analytical studies of the coalescence equation with some numerical tools such as Monte Carlo simulations of the coalescence process. The validity time of the KCE was estimated by calculating the maximum of the ratio of the standard deviation for the largest droplet mass over all the realizations to the averaged value. A good correspondence between the analytical and the nu- merical approaches was found for all the kernels. The ex- pected values from analytical solutions of the KCE, were compared with true expected values of the stochastic collec- tion equation (SCE) estimated with Gillespie's Monte Carlo algorithm and analytical solutions of the SCE, after and be- fore the breakdown time. The possible implications for cloud physics are discussed, in particular the possibility of application of these results to kernels modified by turbulence and electrical processes.


Given the nutritional value of faba bean, however its susceptibility to water deficit, especially in Mediterranean environment, tillage practices need to be modified in order to adapt the crop to dry and low rainfall conditions and promote the interest in its cultivation.

 To identify whether no-tillage system can be considered as a sustainable means in faba bean cultivation under Mediterranean condition.

 The study was conducted during a 6-year period (2010/11 to 2015/16) in southern Italy within wheat-faba bean rotation framework of a long-term experiment. The effect of No-Tillage (NT) on agronomic and energy parameters of faba bean (Vicia faba L.) cultivation was evaluated and compared to those of Conventional (CT) and Reduced (RT) Tillage.

 The agronomic results indicate that NT performed better and/or is comparable to CT, while its application was 28% and 30% more energy efficient compared to CT and RT respectively. For agronomic parameters, tillage had a significant effect on number of plant m-2, grain yield, grain protein content and 100-seed weight whereas year effect was significant for yield components and quality parameters. Energy indexes, instead, were significantly affected by both factors. NT gave the best results in terms of energy efficiency, energy intensity and net energy, and consumed 39% and 36% less non-renewable energy than CT and RT, respectively.

 Our findings revealed that the key benefit of NT in rainfed faba bean is its ability to produce sufficient yield of high quality with a significant reduction in energy inputs entailed the fewest field operations and therefore lowest energy requirements.


Groundwater quality data taken in August and December 2000 revealed that the groundwaters in Hanoi are contaminated by arsenic (up to 110 μg/l), iron (up to 32 mg Fe/l), organic matter (DOC up to 12 mg/l), and ammonia (up to 29 mg-N/l). Data on trace metals, as well as conventional water quality parameters such as pH, ORP, major cations and anions, were used to analyse groundwater flow and the mechanisms of groundwater contamination using multivariate data analysis methods. The results of Cluster Analysis (CA) demonstrated that the groundwater flow and characteristics were separated into three different zones, namely the Riverain zone, the Northwest zone, and the South zone where the highest levels of arsenic, iron, organic matter and ammonia were detected. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) showed strong correlation among two groups of trace metals: the first group includes Cd, Co, Mg, Mn, and Sr and these metals are considered to be leached out from rock minerals under moderately oxidizing conditions. The second group contains As, B, Ba, Cr, Cs, FeII, Mo, P, Pb, Rb, Ti, DOC and bicarbonate, and these are negatively correlated with SO 4 2- and ORP, which indicates that these elements are eluted from organic matter and/or iron oxyhydroxide under anaerobic conditions. Further analyses of data obtained in the contaminated groundwaters by PCA and correlation between As and DOC suggest that there may be two possible mechanisms of arsenic release: reduction of iron oxyhydroxide and anaerobic degradation of organic matter in the peat layers.


A shape memory polymer traditionally refers to a polymer that can memorize one temporary shape and recover to its permanent shape upon exposure to an external stimulus. Although this basic concept has been known for at least half a century, recent advances have led to the discoveriy of previously uncovered memory properties that challenge the traditional concept of shape memory polymers. In particular, a temperature memory effect refers to the capability of a polymer to memorize temperatures instead of shapes. Thus far, the reported temperature memory effect has been established under iso‐strain stress recovery conditions, in which the maximum recovery stress appears at a temperature roughly identical to the deformation temperature. This effect can be called recovery stress based temperature memory effect. In this work, experiments were designed in an attempt to establish a temperature memory effect based on the stress free strain recovery behaviors of Nafion. The results show that, under carefully selected conditions, the temperature at which a maximum strain recovery rate is observed can indeed be quantitatively related to the deformation temperature. In addition, indications that the polymer is capable of memorizing more than one deformation temperature (i.e., multi‐temperature memory effect) are shown. The molecular origin of Nafion's temperature memory effect is elucidated through small angle neutron scattering study.


Approximate spectral clustering (ASC), a recently popular approach for unsupervised land cover identification, applies spectral clustering on a reduced set of data representatives (found by sampling or quantization). ASC enables extraction of clusters with different characteristics by utilizing various information types (such as distance, local density distribution and data topology) for accurate similarity definition. However, selection of a sampling / quantization method and a similarity criterion is of great importance for optimal clustering. Alternatively, we propose sampling based ASC ensemble (SASCE) to exploit different similarity criteria with selective sampling by merging their partitionings into a consensus result. We show the outperformance of the proposed ensemble SASCE on four land cover datasets in comparison with their individual clusterings.


Tympanocentesis is often needed for therapeutic or diagnostic reasons.1-3The principal diagnostic use is in conditions in which the organism or the response of the host may not be predictable or the response (or lack of it) to therapy cannot be observed for use as the key to outcome. These conditions occur in the newborn or the medically or therapeutically immunocompromised, where bacteriology and host response may vary, and in the very seriously ill, where the organism must be identified early. Other indications include the presence of suppurative complications, failure to respond to appropriate antibiotics, and the development of otitis during antibiotic therapy. Since no major benefit has been demonstrated for drainage of the middle ear as a routine part of therapy, the therapeutic reasons are limited to extreme pain and toxic manifestations. Though the technique is recommended and apparently widely used, to date no tympanocentesis learning or training


Given that sf is notoriously difficult to define, and that postmodernism is (usually) resistant to any absolute definition, any account of postmodernism and sf risks collapsing under the weight of its own hesitations. This chapter will isolate several theories of postmodernism, examine the interplay of postmodernism and sf and offer a brief critique of postmodernism. It should perhaps be taken for granted that much postmodernism reads like sf. Definitions Postmodernism came into critical focus as an approach thanks to an article by Fredric Jameson, and soon became one of the commonest critical approaches to sf. The term pre-dates Jameson; most significantly in architecture 'postmodernism' had been used to designate a particular style which rejected the brutalism of modernism in favour of eclecticism, quoting from earlier styles and mixing aesthetics. In the 1960s and 1970s 'postmodern' began to be applied to a series of writers active after 1945 whose works demonstrate knowledge of their own fictionality, either by drawing attention to the creative process of narration, by containing books within books or by breaking down boundaries between author and characters – examples include the works of Beckett, Burroughs and Borges. Kurt Vonnegut is perhaps the author who has most featured himself as a character within his own science fictions – partly in the debate about sf in the novels featuring Kilgore Trout, but most clearly in his interventions into such narratives as Slaughterhouse -5 (1969), drawing on his experience in Dresden after the Allied bombing raid, or Breakfast of Champions (1973), especially at the end when he sets his characters free. It should be emphasized that Vonnegut here is just another character, just as Tom Robbins is when doing battle with his typewriter in Still Life With Woodpecker (1980) and Robert Sheckley when he tries to get his narrative to work in Options (1975).


As social interactions increasingly occur through social media platforms, intergroup affective phenomena such as "outrage firestorms" and "cancel culture" have emerged with notable consequences for society. In this research, we examine how social identity shapes the antecedents and functional outcomes of moral emotion expression online. Across four pre-registered experiments (N = 1,712), we find robust evidence that the inclusion of moral-emotional expressions in political messages has a causal influence on intentions to share the messages on social media. We find that individual differences in the strength of partisan identification is a consistent predictor of sharing messages with moral-emotional expressions, but little evidence that brief manipulations of identity salience increased sharing. Negative moral emotion expression in social media messages also causes the message author to be perceived as more strongly identified among their partisan ingroup, but less open-minded and less worthy of conversation to outgroup members. These experiments highlight the role of social identity in affective phenomena in the digital age, and showcase how moral emotion expressions in online networks can serve ingroup reputation functions while at the same time hinder discourse between political groups.


This paper reports on the extents to which Thai secondary teachers' reflection of vocabulary teaching and their implementation its vocabulary pedagogy which includes in their EFL classroom. Within a qualitative study, data were collected by way of –in-depth interview with 10 teachers in different high school teachers both experienced and non-experienced teachers. 100 questionnaires were interpreted by using quantitative data. The results revealed that teachers show some different reflections which in turned effected the way they implemented the vocabulary pedagogy in classrooms. Recommendations are also given to apply for teaching vocabulary in Thai EFL classroom. Keyword: vocabulary activity, pedagogy


A new class of life distributions, namely new better than used in the total time on test transform ordering (NBUT), is introduced. The relationship of this class to other classes of life distributions, and closure properties under some reliability operations, are discussed. We provide a simple argument based on stochastic orders that the family of the NBUT distribution class is closed under the formation of series systems in case of independent identically distributed components. Behavior of this class is developed in terms of the monotonicity of the residual life of k-out-of-n systems given the time at which the (n-k)-th failure has occurred. Finally, we discuss testing exponentially against the NBUT aging property.


Based on present research states and new problems of current collaborative design (CD), the paper presents a solution of building Virtual PDM (VPDM) for developing a CD platform on heterogeneous CAD and PDM systems among enterprises. Firstly, VPDM definition and characteristics are put forward, the CD framework in VPDM is proposed and each component of VPDM are analyzed. Secondly, operations and features in CAD are described with Express-G, a unified feature model is built and mapped into database mode. And then, feature-based CD sequence diagram, clients' status and feature expression are introduced in VPDM environment. At last, prototype system developed using above method makes CD come true in two commercial CAD systems and two commercial PDM systems, which proves that our approach works well.


* Colonel Deepak Sharma is a Research Fellow at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, New Delhi. The People's Liberation Army (PLA) considers active offence to be the most important requirement for information warfare to destroy or disrupt an adversary's capability to receive and process data. Launched mainly by remote combat and covert methods, the PLA could employ information warfare pre-emptively to gain the initiative in a crisis. Specified information warfare objectives include the targeting and destruction of an enemy's command system, shortening the duration of war, minimizing casualties on both sides, enhancing operational efficiency, reducing effects on domestic populations and gaining support from the international community. The PLA's Information Warfare (IW) practices also reflect investment in electronic countermeasures and defences against electronic attack. The Chinese have adopted a formal IW strategy called "Integrated Network Electronic Warfare" (INEW) that consolidates the offensive mission for both Computer Network Attack (CNA) and Electronic Warfare (EW). China's Computer Network Operations (CNO) include computer network attack, computer network defence, and computer network exploitation. The PLA sees CNO as critical to seize the initiative and achieve "electromagnetic dominance" early in a conflict, and as a force multiplier. Although there is no evidence of a formal Chinese CNO doctrine, PLA theorists have coined the term "Integrated Network Electronic Warfare" to outline the integrated use of electronic warfare, CNO, and limited kinetic strikes against key command and control, communication and computers nodes to disrupt the enemy's battlefield network information systems. The PLA has established information warfare units to develop viruses to attack enemy computer systems and networks, and tactics and measures to protect friendly computer systems and networks.


The importance of the gut microbiota to health is becoming more widely appreciated. The range of commensal microorganisms in healthy individuals and in patients with a variety of digestive diseases is under active investigation, and evidence is accumulating to suggest that both the diversity and balance of bacterial species are important for health. Disturbance of the balance of microorganisms – dysbiosis – is associated with obesity and a variety of diseases. Restoring the balance by modulating the microbiota through diet, probiotics, or drugs is now being developed as a potential treatment for digestive diseases. Rifaximin has been shown to increase levels of beneficial bacterial species without perturbing the overall composition of the microbiota in patients with a variety of digestive diseases, making it a 'eubiotic' rather than an antibiotic. Rifaximin has demonstrated clinical benefit in the treatment of symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease, where changes in the colonic microbiota contribute to the pathogenesis of this disease. Modulating the microbiota is also a promising treatment for some types of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) that have been linked to an overgrowth of coliform and Aeromonas species in the small intestine. Rifaximin has demonstrated efficacy in relieving symptoms and reducing relapses in diarrhoeal IBS in the TARGET-1, 2, and 3 trials, without reducing microbial diversity or increasing antimicrobial resistance. While many aspects of the balance of gut microbiota in disease are not yet fully understood, the new understanding of rifaximin as a modulator of gut microbiota may open up new treatment options in digestive disease.


This study examines family businesses with strong entrepreneurial capacity, operating in a developing economy governed by what can be characterized as a state with little capacity to nurture vibrant domestic firms. The empirical focus of this study is that of entrepreneurial family firms in Bangladesh and their rise as major corporate enterprises in spite of the state's incapacity to help foster the development of domestic firms. These family firms emerged in Bangladesh, a weak state marked by persistent political turmoil, a deeply fractured bureaucracy stemming from the country's double partition history, an inefficient and inexperienced political and judicial institutions, and a governance system heavily plagued by corruption and rent-seeking. Moreover, since independence, different regimes have initiated various policies through which the agrarian-dominated economy gradually turned into a manufacturing-dominated economy where family firms were the main engines of economic growth. These family firms have identified opportunities to survive and grow, have been innovative and adaptive, have taken risks and have nurtured successors with entrepreneurial skills. As policy initiatives were not adequate to nurture their growth, family firms maintained convenient, yet sometimes illegitimate, relationships with the government, a nexus that helped them secure access to various government concessions and the means to shape policies in their favour. This study uses concepts from two bodies of literature as family business and the developmental state. These two bodies of literature have not been used together while analysing the development of family firms under a weak state. Given this situation, the study deals with two key questions. First, how did family firms emerge as conglomerates while being confronted with state incapacity? Second, what do the histories of these large family businesses indicate about their entrepreneurial capacity and/or their forms of state-business nexuses? This study adopts a business history approach in order to trace the evolution of seven large family firms in Bangladesh. They are: A.K. Khan, BEXIMCO, Square, Anwar, Akij, Rahimafrooz and PRAN-RFL. The seven case studies highlight three vital issues: firstly, the state has been incapable of adopting viable and well-planned strategies to nurture domestic enterprises. Secondly, the form of entrepreneurship and state-nexuses that these large firms adopted helped them sustain themselves even under a weak state and in a situation of economic bottlenecks and political crises. Thirdly, this study confirms that no single factors from within entrepreneurship and state nexuses could assist the family firms to survive and grow within a weak state, rather the firms needed a combination of both, which heavily influenced business strategies. This is how the ideas from scholarly work about the developmental state, and from schools of thought about entrepreneurship together have contributed to a better understanding of how large family firms survive and grow in a weak state like Bangladesh. Although these two factors mutually nurtured their business growth, however, the weak state allowed the firms to remain domestic market focused, export few products to lower and lower middle income countries, avoid public listing and professionalization of the organizational structure.


Agricultural educators hold a position that bears much responsibility to many different stakeholders and is accompanied by many forms of stressors, making a high level of resilience particularly essential to this group (Anderson, Kitchel, & Thieman, 2012; Croom, 2003; Straquadine, 1990; Torres, Lambert, & Lawver, 2009; Walker, Garton, & Kitchel, 2004). Agricultural educators continue to be in short supply in relation to demand and especially in the early years high attrition rates plague the profession (Kantrovich, 2007). The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe teacher resilience of preservice high school agricultural educators. The population studied was ten pre-service agricultural education teachers in their last year of coursework in agricultural education at the University of Missouri. The themes exposed include: youth experiences are a key component toward reflection on resilience, the uncertainty of the reality of the job could counter resilience, and belief that "doing a good job" is key to resilience in teaching. Recommendations for practice and theoretical questions for teacher educators to discuss are provided.


In multichip modules (MCMs), engineering changes (EC) are required for both repair of defective chip to chip connections within the module, as well as modification of electrical connections for module performance optimization. With the recent use of complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) chips in IBM's latest generation of mainframe machines, EC design has been modified to accommodate chips with a much higher number of signal I/Os. Using the previous design methodology of connecting each signal C4 to an EC pad, a large area of the top surface of the module would be required for EC features. This would force increased chip-to-chip wiring length and impact module performance. In addition, larger size MCMs would be required, driving up cost. The new EC approach utilizes top surface thin film wiring in the X and Y directions, which is not pre-connected to any signal C4 pads. The approach used to make desired EC connections is described. New processes were developed to make micro-connections to customize an EC connection, CMOS based MCMs have more than 5/spl times/ the signal I/Os per chip compared to bipolar devices. As a result of the evolution in EC technology, CMOS chip based MCMs have been successfully designed, built, tested and debugged quickly. They are being used in IBM's latest generation mainframe machines.


A total of 500 urine specimens collected from non-hospitalized patients were investigated for leukocyte count by microscopy, bacterial recovery by culture, and detection of antimicrobial activity by disc diffusion. Results indicated that 21% of the specimens contained leukocytes > or = 50/cu mm, whereas 14.4% of specimens revealed significant bacterial growth. The use of Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29737 as a test bacterium detected the antimicrobial activity in 19.2% of the urine specimens, while the use of two clinical isolates of Escherichia coli detected this activity in fewer specimens. Evidence is provided which indicates that bacterial growth inhibitors in urine are mainly due to the intake of antibiotics by patients. These inhibitors confused the interpretation of urine culture results as they were found to play a major role in the occurrence of sterile pyorrhea and in reducing the number of specimens yielding significant bacterial growth.


We have used Swedish monozygotic twins concordant for breast cancer to study genetic changes associated with the development of breast cancer. Because loss of heterozygosity (LOH) at a specific genomic region may reflect the presence of a tumour suppressor gene, loss of the same allele in both of the twins concordant for breast cancer may pinpoint a tumour suppressor gene that confers a strong predisposition to breast cancer. DNA samples extracted from the matched tumour and normal tissues of nine twin pairs were analysed for allelic imbalance using a set of microsatellite markers on chromosomes 1, 13, 16 and 17, containing loci with known tumour suppressor genes. The two main regions, where more twin pairs than expected had lost the same allele, were located at 16qtel', including markers D16S393, D16S305 and D16S413, and at 17p13, distal to the p53 locus. Our results show that the monozygotic twin model can be used to suggest candidate regions of potential tumour suppressor genes, even with a limited number of twin pairs.


Almost continuous innovation in the area of new technologies and applications in second language teaching and learning can make research especially challenging. In longer-term projects, for example, the researcher may find that by the end of the project the technology that has been central to it has been surpassed or outmoded. While some precautionary steps can be taken, such as focusing on underlying principles, the technology in use still remains critical. This is why the drive for deeper principles and theoretical insights in CALL research becomes so important. However, it is also a matter of the kind of research being attempted, for example whether it is preliminary and exploratory, aiming to evaluate a very new technology or application, or whether it is more refined and focussed, incorporating the use of a technology or application that is relatively stable and well established. This paper focuses on the impact of technological innovation in CALL research, while accepting that pedagogical innovation and curriculum innovation are also contributing factors. The paper describes exemplary projects and strategies for research planning where the aim is to sustain longer-term research agendas alongside shorter-term research goals which, while still reflecting broader principles, are still responsive to rapid innovation and development.


Infibulation – the narrowing of the vaginal opening after the removal of the clitoris and labia – is the most invasive form of female genital cutting. The extent to which it is practiced varies widely within Africa. This paper studies the historical origins of this variation by testing the anthropological theory that a particular form of preindustrial economic production – subsisting on pastoralism – favored the adoption of this custom. The hypothesis is based on the fact that pastoralism was characterized by heightened paternity uncertainty due to frequent and often extended periods of male absence from the settlement, implying larger payoffs to controlling female sexuality. Using within-country variation across 80,000 women in 12 African countries, the paper first documents that women from historically more pastoral societies are significantly more likely to be infibulated today. Extending the analysis to a set of 500,000 individuals in 34 countries, the paper then shows that formerly pastoral societies also exhibit a broader set of customs and norms that restrict female sexuality: female descendants of pastoral societies (i) are more constrained in their mobility outside their home; (ii) hold more restrictive norms about female sexuality; and (iii) behave less promiscuously. I argue and show empirically that the mechanism behind these patterns is indeed male absenteeism, rather than male dominance per se. Overall, the results suggest that contemporary variation in constraints on female sexuality can be traced back to a functional relationship between historical economic production and societal customs which have persisted until today.


Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro's largest hydroelectric generating station on the Island Interconnected system is located at Bay d'Espoir. The Bay d'Espoir Hydroelectric Generating Station consists of seven generating units producing a total capacity of 604 MW which is approximately 39 percent of the Island Interconnected System's installed capacity. Units 1 through 4 went online between 1967 and 1968, with each unit having a rated capacity of 75 MW.

During the summer of 2010, generating unit 2 underwent a major refurbishment, including a stator rewind, rotor pole re-insulation and protection upgrade. This project was the first stator rewind on a unit of this size in Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro's history, and marks the beginning of the replacement of many of Hydro's major assets that were put in place during the late 1960s.


Abstract Postharvest senescence is a critical problem of carnation cut flowers, limiting their transportation and subsequent marketing chain. This study was designed to assess whether the application of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP), silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), and nitric oxide (NO) released from donor sodium nitroprusside (SNP) could prolong the vase life of cut carnations through an influence on the physiological and biochemical mechanisms involved in aging process. 1-MCP was used in the concentrations of 0, 100, 200, and 300 mg·m−3; AgNPs in the concentrations of 0, 50, 100, and 150 mg·dm−3; and SNP in the concentrations of 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, and 0.4 mM. All treatments significantly extended the cut flower life compared with untreated flowers, more so with 300 mg·m−3 of 1-MCP, 100 mg·dm−3 of AgNPs, or 0.3 mM of SNP. All these chemical compounds were able to considerably improve the relative water content (RWC), reduce the malondialdehyde (MDA) content and increase the membrane stability index (MSI) in petals and, therefore, maintain the membrane integrity. In addition, they decreased the activities of acetyl-CoA synthetase (ACS) and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and, hence, depressed the production of ethylene in carnation cut flowers through downregulating the ethylene production, what prolonged the vase life. Altogether, the application of exogenous 1-MCP, AgNPs, or SNP may provide a promising avenue to improve the postharvest performance of carnation cut flowers.


Deep Learning and Machine Learning models have recently been shown to be effective in many real world applications. While these models achieve increasingly better predictive performance, their structures have also become much more complex. A common and difficult problem for complex models is overfitting. Regularization is used to penalize the complexity of the model in order to avoid overfitting. However, in most learning frameworks, regularization function is usually set with some hyper-parameters where the best setting is difficult to find. In this paper, we propose an adaptive regularization method, as part of a large end-to-end healthcare data analytics software stack, which effectively addresses the above difficulty. First, we propose a general adaptive regularization method based on Gaussian Mixture (GM) to learn the best regularization function according to the observed parameters. Second, we develop an effective update algorithm which integrates Expectation Maximization (EM) with Stochastic Gradient Descent (SGD). Third, we design a lazy update and sparse update algorithm to reduce the computational cost by 4x and 20x, respectively. The overall regularization framework is fast, adaptive, and easy-to-use. We validate the effectiveness of our regularization method through an extensive experimental study over 14 standard benchmark datasets and three kinds of deep learning/machine learning models. The results illustrate that our proposed adaptive regularization method achieves significant improvement over state-of-the-art regularization methods.


This article will focus on theoretical and practical dilemmas related to the concept of peace governance, and within this context on the possible transformative role of peace education trough facilitation of contact between communities in conflict. The basic assumption is that violent conflicts in the Balkans have been resolved trough negotiated settlements and peace agreements. Yet, education strategy including peace education and its impact on post-conflict peacebuilding and reconciliation are underestimated. Peace governance is recognized as a dynamic but challenging process often based on institutional and policy arrangements aimed to at least settle conflict dynamics or in some cases even to provide more sustainable peace after signing of negotiated settlement in multicultural societies. We will argue that education in general is one of the critical issues of peace governance arrangements that could facilitate peacebuilding and create a contact platform between communities. The first question addressed in this article is to what extend peace agreements refer to education as an issue and the second one relate to the question if education is included in peace agreement to what extent it contributes for contact between different conflicting communities. Although it is widely accepted that contacts between former adversaries contributes for multicultural dialogue it is less known or explained if and in what way peace agreements provisions on education facilitate contact and transformation of conflicting relations.


In this paper an improved camera calibration algorithm is applied to the video-based traffic information detection. The geometric camera model is set up based on the pin-hole model and direct linear transformation (DLT). Adopting the coplanar condition, we estimate parameters of the model and realize the transform from image coordinates to world coordinates in the end. In our experiment, the algorithm has the advantage of high-accuracy and its parameters can be easily estimated. It is proved that the algorithm could meet the requirement of calibration accuracy in the application of the video-based traffic information detection


A new concept for high intensity deoxygenation of water by gas stripping is described. An enhanced acceleration field is created by water injection and promotes mass transfer without the complication of mechanical rotation of the contactor. Stripping gas is bubbled through a rapidly rotating layer of water. Experimental results for fresh and salt water are presented for an initial and improved version of the contactor. The latter gives values of H OL and K L a markedly better than those for a packed column. Performance was particularly good on salt water due to its suppression of bubble coalescence. K L a values over 300 times higher than those measured on a packed column were achieved. H OL varies over a wide range of gas flows G as H OL α G -n where n is near 0.6. Energy consumption, whilst higher than in a packed column, is not out of line with that for other recent deoxygenation techniques. Aspects requiring further research are discussed.


TADB (http://bioinfo-mml.sjtu.edu.cn/TADB/) is an integrated database that provides comprehensive information about Type 2 toxin–antitoxin (TA) loci, genetic features that are richly distributed throughout bacterial and archaeal genomes. Two-gene and much less frequently three-gene Type 2 TA loci code for cognate partners that have been hypothesized or demonstrated to play key roles in stress response, bacterial physiology and stabilization of horizontally acquired genetic elements. TADB offers a unique compilation of both predicted and experimentally supported Type 2 TA loci-relevant data and currently contains 10 753 Type 2 TA gene pairs identified within 1240 prokaryotic genomes, and details of over 240 directly relevant scientific publications. A broad range of similarity search, sequence alignment, genome context browser and phylogenetic tools are readily accessible via TADB. We propose that TADB will facilitate efficient, multi-disciplinary and innovative exploration of the bacteria and archaea Type 2 TA space, better defining presently recognized TA-related phenomena and potentially even leading to yet-to-be envisaged frontiers. The TADB database, envisaged as a one-stop shop for Type 2 TA-related research, will be maintained, updated and improved regularly to ensure its ongoing maximum utility to the research community.


Background Previous studies have shown that females and males differ in the processing of emotional facial expressions including the recognition of emotion, and that emotional facial expressions are detected more rapidly than are neutral expressions. However, whether the sexes differ in the rapid detection of emotional facial expressions remains unclear. Methodology/Principal Findings We measured reaction times (RTs) during a visual search task in which 44 females and 46 males detected normal facial expressions of anger and happiness or their anti-expressions within crowds of neutral expressions. Anti-expressions expressed neutral emotions with visual changes quantitatively comparable to normal expressions. We also obtained subjective emotional ratings in response to the facial expression stimuli. RT results showed that both females and males detected normal expressions more rapidly than anti-expressions and normal-angry expressions more rapidly than normal-happy expressions. However, females and males showed different patterns in their subjective ratings in response to the facial expressions. Furthermore, sex differences were found in the relationships between subjective ratings and RTs. High arousal was more strongly associated with rapid detection of facial expressions in females, whereas negatively valenced feelings were more clearly associated with the rapid detection of facial expressions in males. Conclusion Our data suggest that females and males differ in their subjective emotional reactions to facial expressions and in the emotional processes that modulate the detection of facial expressions.


Abstract Through the complementary use of single-crystal X-ray diffraction and X-ray absorption spectroscopy, we present in this paper the first direct results on the site occupancy of thorium in the fluorapatite structure and the structural distortion created by its substitution. Structure refinements based on single-crystal X-ray diffraction data from synthetic Th-doped fluorapatite indicates that Th substitutes almost exclusively in the M2 site. A single-crystal X-ray study of natural fluorapatite from Mineville, New York, also indicated that substituting heavy scatterers (including Th) are concentrated in the apatite M2 site, but definitive site assignments of specific elements were not possible. Extended X-ray absorption fine-structure spectroscopy (EXAFS) was used to probe the local structure of Th in the synthetic fluorapatite (single-crystal form) with a Th concentration of roughly 20 000 ppm, as well as Th in the natural Mineville fluorapatite (powder form) with a Th concentration of ~2000 ppm. The EXAFS fitting results also indicate that Th partitions into the M2 site and yield a ~0.05-0.08 Å decrease of average M2-O bond distances associated with local structure distortions that are not obtainable from single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies.


Background: Acute otitis media (AOM) nonresponsive to antibiotics is most commonly caused by antibiotic-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae. A strategy for treating these infections with parenteral ceftriaxone was adopted at the Children's Hospital Iceland. The 10-valent pneumococcal H. influenzae protein D-conjugate vaccine was introduced into the vaccination program in Iceland in 2011. The aim was to study its effect on the incidence of AOM with treatment failure. Methods: This retrospective observational study included children who visited the Children's Hospital Iceland because of AOM or received ceftriaxone, regardless of indication from 2008–2015. Incidence rate was calculated for prevaccine (2008–2011) and postvaccine (2012–2015) periods using person-years at risk within the hospital's referral region. Incidence rate ratio of ceftriaxone treatment episodes of AOM was calculated using the Mantel–Haenzel method adjusting for age. Incidence risk ratio of ceftriaxone treatment if presenting to the hospital with AOM was calculated to adjust for rate of AOM visits. Results: Visits for AOM decreased from 47.5 to 33.9 visits per 1000 person-years, incidence rate ratio (IRR) 0.86 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.81–0.91), P < 0.001. Fewer AOM episodes were treated with ceftriaxone, decreasing from 6.49 to 2.96 treatment episodes per 1000 person-years, with an overall Mantel–Haenzel adjusted IRR 0.45 (95% CI: 0.37–0.54; P < 0.001). This remained significant after adjusting for the decrease in AOM visits, IRR 0.53 (95% CI: 0.44–0.63; P < 0.001). Conclusions: Visits for AOM and ceftriaxone use decreased significantly after H. influenzae protein D-conjugate vaccine introduction. The observed decrease in ceftriaxone use is presumed to represent a decline in AOM with treatment failure, secondary to a decrease in resistant infections.


OBJECTIVE
To determine whether specific dopamine receptor antagonists block alfentanil-induced locomotor stimulation in horses.

STUDY DESIGN
Randomized, prospective, crossover experiment.

ANIMALS
Eight adult horses (462-604 kg).

METHODS
Doses of dopamine-1 (D1) (NNC 01-0756) and dopamine-2 (D2) antagonists (eticlopride) were selected in a pilot study prior to a three part, blinded, cross-over study. In part 1, horses received 7.5 micro g kg-1 eticlopride, 5 micro g kg-1 NNC 01-0756 or an equal volume of saline. In part 2, they received both antagonists and in part 3, acepromazine at 0.05 mg kg-1. Locomotor activity was assessed by counting the steps taken by a marked forefoot per 2 minutes. The D antagonist was injected IV after a 20-minute control period. The horses were observed for 10 minutes before alfentanil (20 micro g kg-1) was injected IV. Locomotor activity was then monitored for 60 minutes. Statistical analysis was performed on step counts following alfentanil normalised by subtracting the mean control step count from each value recorded after alfentanil. Data were analysed using Friedman tests and Tukey-Kramer comparisons.

RESULTS
Alfentanil increased locomotor activity for 10 minutes. NNC 01-0756 tended to reduce locomotor activity between 0 and 10 minutes (p = 0.261), but neither D antagonist suppressed it significantly. The combination of D antagonists induced more step counts than saline or acepromazine (p = 0.0265) in the 20-40-minute period and more than saline, acepromazine or eticlopride between 40 and 60 minutes (p = 0.0003).

CONCLUSIONS
Neither D1 nor D2 antagonists inhibited alfentanil-induced locomotor activity. Both drugs appeared to cause locomotor stimulation of their own.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE
D1 and D2 antagonism did not reduce opioid-induced excitement in horses and is not suitable for reducing the incidence of this unwanted side-effect of opioids.


Rupture of an intracranial aneurysm results in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), a subtype of stroke with an incidence of 9 per 100,000 person-years and a case-fatality around 35%. In order to prevent SAH, patients with unruptured intracranial aneurysms can be treated by neurosurgical or endovascular interventions, but both treatment modalities carry a ~5-7% risk of unfavorable outcome due to treatment complications. Therefore, the risk of preventive aneurysm treatment needs to be balanced carefully against the risk of SAH due to aneurysm rupture. Current assessment of the risk of aneurysm rupture, which is mainly based on geographical region, aneurysm size and aneurysm location, is insufficient. This thesis focusses on the improvement of the assessment of aneurysm growth and rupture (Part I), aneurysm wall inflammation as underlying mechanism of aneurysm rupture (Part II), and outcome after preventive aneurysm treatment for a patient perspective (Part III). Chapter 2 is a systematic review and meta-analysis on the literature on patient- and aneurysm-specific risk factors for aneurysm growth. In chapter 3, we studied geometric and morphologic aneurysm-specific risk factors for aneurysm rupture, and found that aspect ratio and irregular shape are robust risk factors for aneurysms rupture, independent of aneurysm size, location, and patient-specific characteristics. In chapter 4 we investigated whether the PHASES score, a risk model for aneurysm rupture, also predicts for aneurysm growth. In chapter 5, we elaborated on the results of chapter 2 through 4, and developed a risk model to predict the risk of aneurysm growth in patients with unruptured intracranial aneurysms. In chapter 6, we investigated whether the seasonal variation in SAH incidence was associated with temperature or increased incidence of influenza-like-illness, a seasonal inflammatory disease. In chapter 7, we investigated the prevalence of gadolinium-enhancement on 3 Tesla MRI and its determinants in a prospectively collected cohort of patients with small unruptured intracranial aneurysms. In chapter 8, we focused on the outcome after preventive aneurysm treatment from a patient perspective. The studies in this thesis help us to provide guidance to patients and their treating clinicians in decisions on treatment and follow-up of unruptured intracranial aneurysms (Part I), it gives supportive evidence for the hypothesis of aneurysm wall inflammation as contributing factor in the pathogenesis of aneurysm rupture and a baseline cohort for future studies on aneurysm wall enhancement as promising biomarker for prediction of aneurysm wall instability (Part II), and a first impression of the losses of functioning, working capacity, and life satisfaction after preventive treatment of unruptured intracranial aneurysms (Part III).


Background: The P300 components of auditory event related potentials (ERPs) are objective measures related to information and cognitive processing. Objectives: To assess P300 ERPs in female patients with fibromyalgia (FM) in comparison with healthy age matched controls. To investigate the relationship between P300 potentials and pain threshold levels of patients, and subsequent effect of sertraline treatment on P300 potentials. Methods: P300 auditory ERPs were studied in 13 untreated female patients with FM and 10 healthy controls matched for age, sex, and education. Pain pressure thresholds and total myalgic scores (TMS) were assessed with an algometer. Patients were evaluated for clinical measures and P300 potentials (recorded from the vertex) at the first visit, and then in the fourth and eighth weeks of sertraline treatment. Results: Patients with FM had significantly lower P300 amplitudes, but not significantly different P300 latencies, than controls at entry. P300 latencies in patients correlated negatively with TMS (rs=−0.79, p<0.01) and P300 amplitudes correlated significantly with TMS (rs=0.53, p<0.05). Anxiety and depression scores did not correlate significantly with P300 latencies or amplitudes at the study entry. P300 auditory ERPs had increased amplitudes that had reached nearly the same levels as those of the controls at the eighth week without any significant change in their latencies. Conclusion: The results show reduced P300 amplitudes in patients with FM. Further studies assessing the relationship between P300 ERPs and neuropsychiatric tests are required for better clarification of the clinical relevance of P300 potentials in FM.


This article addresses the question as to whether it is possible to replicate the findings concerning the different types of satisfied couples proposed by Gottman (1994a). Gottman has, based upon empirical analysis, proposed that five types of couples exist: validator, volatile, avoider, hostile and hostile-detached couples. Although this typology is in itself highly interesting, what is even more intriguing is his argumentation that not only validator couples, but also volatile and avoider couples, demonstrate high marital satisfaction and stability over time. Consequently, we have attempted to replicate his findings concerning the group of satisfied couples in a cross sectional design using a sample of 40 couples. The group of hostile and hostile-detached couples were not investigated. The dependent measures used were marital satisfaction, the quality of marital communication and dyadic coping. In general, our data support the findings of Gottman and reveal that the typology suggested by this author also proves reliable in the context of European culture. In addition, we were able to uncover interesting differences between the diverse types of satisfied couples proposed in regard to communication and dyadic stress management.


We have investigated the characteristics of gate-all-around (GAA) twin polycrystalline-silicon nanowire (NW) thin-film transistors (TFTs). The NW channel and surrounding gate imparted the GAA twin NW TFT with superior channel controllability. Moreover, the combination of the high surface-to-volume ratio of the NW and the split channel structure led to highly efficient NH3 plasma treatment, which reduced the effective grain-boundary trap-state density. The GAA twin NW TFT exhibited greatly improved electrical performance, including a lower threshold voltage, a steeper subthreshold swing (114 mV/dec), a higher on/off current ratio (> 108), and a virtual absence of drain-induced barrier lowering (13 mV/V).


The aim of this study was to investigate whether the Japanese herbal medicine "Juzen-taiho-to (JTX)" has a protective effect on ethanol (EtOH)-induced liver injury. Seven-week-old male ICR mice were orally administered JTX or saline once a day for three days. Twenty-four hours after the last administration, the mice were intraperitoneally injected with EtOH (2 g/kg). The mice in each group were killed 24 hr after EtOH administration and were bled to obtain plasma. The mice injected with EtOH had high plasma levels of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase and lipid peroxidation. Histopathological examination of the liver of mice treated with EtOH revealed an abnormal outline around the central vein, glycogen depletion, and expression of prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2. Pretreatment with JTX prevented the EtOH-induced increase in the levels of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase, lipid peroxidation, and histopathological changes. Our results suggest that JTX exerts protective effects against EtOH-induced liver disease by modulating oxidative stress and inflammatory response.


This dissertation for the Degree of Doctor of Psychology (Health) presents three pieces of work: 1) A Re-analysis of a Systematic Review of Psychological Interventions Used to Aid Smoking Cessation; 2) Evaluation and Discourse Analysis of the EC's Health Promotion Programme; 3) A consultancy case study: Evaluation of Educational Needs Assessment Methods Used in General Practices in Barking and Havering and Redbridge and Waltham Forest. The theme that ties these three pieces of work together is evaluation. The re-analysis of the systematic review of psychological methods for smoking cessation shows how errors can be made in evaluation and how different researchers can obtain different results in what is considered to be a method that reduces bias and produces an accurate picture of `evidence' to inform health policy and practice. The evaluation of the EC's Health Promotion Programme gives insight into a case study of an evaluation to inform health promotion policy at an European level. This piece of work presents the results of an independent evaluation. It highlights unexpected difficulties of drawing conclusions from data such as the practical problems of obtaining data and also the pressures that may come from the commissioners of evaluations. The discourse analysis of the Health Promotion Programme reveals how current discourses in health promotion may compel health promotion practitioners to carry out a certain type of evaluation in which in truth they may have little understanding or commitment. As a result, the practice of evaluation becomes a formality or ritual which is a burden to carry out. A panel of health promotion expert assessors found a lack of acceptable evaluation of projects that were funded by the European Commission. This suggests that if evaluation can be avoided, it will be. The same themes of lack of understanding, commitment and time for evaluation were unveiled in the case study. The consultancy case study evaluated educational needs assessment methods used in general practices. The use of evidence-based practice requires that practitioners understand how to evaluate research and incorporate it into their practice. This needs more emphasis in the education and training of health professionals. However there has been a move away from the more didactic approach to education in primary care to one of listening to people's needs and preferred methods of learning. At the same time the ubiquitous need to evaluate to find the best method prevails. This is regardless of obvious limitations to the interpretation of findings. In this case study, it seemed as though the evaluation was an after-thought, rushed to satisfy some other group higher up the hierarchy in the health authority. Similarly, the discourse analysis pointed to a situation in which the Commission's services are constructed as superior, thus leaving no mechanism to question their knowledge or ways of working. While there may be efforts on one level to encourage a two-way flow of information and knowledge, on another level, a construction of decision-makers as being superior means that information and knowledge only flow one way, top down. All three pieces of work have shown that practical limitations restrict the interpretation of evaluations. Lack of time, incomplete data, commitment and knowledge of evaluation revealed here lead to questions about the possibility and desirability of evidence-based health promotion. For evaluation to advance, there is a need for a better understanding of its purpose and for it to have more meaning for all of the stakeholders involved. This requires a rethink concerning evaluation methods in health promotion that recognise the restraints of evaluation and start inquiry from this premise.


This study attempted to discover the factors which may impact on determination of the level of user acceptance of the card to effectively implement the ECJD card in Korean society. Sociotechnical theory, and the Technical Acceptance Model (TAM) were used as a methodology to identify and predict the relationship of these factors to implementation of the card. Through the preliminary survey in 1997, the key factors (e.g. awareness of the ECID card, confidence in government, information crimes, privacy concerns and electronic surveillance) were discovered, and the identified key factors were also tested to discover their relationship to user acceptance of the ECID card by the primary survey in 1999. This study developed the influential model to identify influential relationships between the key sociotechnical factors and user acceptance of the ECU) card, with the multi-variable analysis of the primary survey. As a result, it was identified that information crimes do not significantly impact on the user acceptance of the ECID card, but other factors are significant. This influential model also demonstrated that awareness of the ECID card and confidence in government have a highly positive impact on user acceptance of the ECID card, while privacy concerns and electronic surveillance have a significantly lower impact. This study discussed the ideological conflicts between Korean society and other countries to discover the reasons for positive and lower impacts between user acceptance, privacy concerns and electronic surveillance. The relational model was also developed to discover the level of ECED card acceptance by the key factors with the change of citizens' attitudes.


Background: The emergency department (ED) is always kept busy by patients requiring urgent health care. A part of the patients is the staff and students of the very institute running the ED. Sick staff and students are a liability as they contribute to economic loss and loss of person-hours of the institute. Materials and Methods: The retrospective cross-sectional study done in Christian Medical College, Vellore, included all staff and students who presented to the ED during the period of January 2014–December 2014. Results: During the study period, a total of 54,562 patients presented to the ED with various complaints. A total of 956 staff and students comprised 2.8% (1528/54,562) of all the emergency visits. There were 1350 staff visits and 178 student visits during the 1-year study period. More than half (57.5%) had general medical complaints and only required pharmacological therapy. A quarter of the staff and students (25.5%) presented to the ED with trauma with more than half of those being road traffic accidents. Univariate analysis for risk factors for trauma among staff had been carried out and the results were summarized. Class 3 and 4 employees had a higher incidence of trauma (21.6% vs. 12.6%, P < 0.001; odds ratio [OR] = 1.91 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.43–2.55]) as also males (25.8% vs. 11.8%; P < 0.001; OR = 2.6 [95% CI: 1.94–3.48]). Conclusions: A significant number of staff and students present to the ED with trauma with males and class 3 and 4 employees having a higher risk. In addition, acute febrile illness present in specific seasonal patterns through the year and are the most common presentations to the ED.


In this study, subphthalocyanine–borondipyrromethene conjugates have been successfully designed and synthesized. The novel compounds were fully characterized by using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry, and 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopies. The photophysical properties of the conjugates were investigated by means of absorption and fluorescence spectroscopies in benzene solutions. The results showed that while the absorption spectra of both conjugates remain almost the same, compound 5 has a better fluorescence behavior and higher energy transfer efficiency. To test the effect of the replacement of the methyl group in the conjugates, Density functional theory (DFT) was used to calculate the equilibrium geometries of the ground state for the conjugates. The torsional angle of the BODIPY with reference to Sub-Pc in compound 5 (−125.4°) was different than that in compound 6 (−91.4°). This planarization results in a decrease in the orbital energy of the BODIPY unit in compound 5, making a smaller gap for the energy transfer mechanism between the BODIPY and Sub-Pc unit. In addition, their photodiode properties were tested here. The obtained phototransient current and capacitance results indicated that the devices exhibit both photodiode and photocapacitor properties. Therefore, it can be concluded that the subphthalocyanine–borondipyrromethene conjugate-based photodevices can be used as photodiodes in solar tracking systems.


A photographic technique for natural head postu?e (NHP) recording that can be associated to standard radiographic exposures is presented. It allows the evaluation of radiographs, according to both the standard intracranial references and NHP. On the NHP photograph, the angle between the soft tissue nasion-pogonion line and the true vertical is calculated, and this value is used to rotate the standard radiograph around the Bolton point. The technique has been applied to 40 private orthodontic patients (24 females and 16 males, aged 7 to 20 years, mean 12.9 years). The hard tissue Frankfurt plane in NHP showed a wide variation: 80% of the patients had orbitale lower than potion (mean angle 6 ~ relative to the ground), 20% had orbitale higher than porion (mean angle 4~ The position of this plane in NHP seemed to be different in the two sexes, with more males having the Frankfurt plane going upwards than females. The soft tissue Frankfurt plane (tragus-orbitale) in NHP was directed upwards (head extended) in 53% of patients.The two Frankfurt planes were never coincident in all subjects; the tragus was always lower and more anterior than porion. On average, the angle tragus-orbitale-porion was about 6 ~ In young orthodontic patients NHP is therefore highly variable, gender dependent, and cannot be deduced from mean population values. Nevertheless, the evaluation of head position should be performed in each young patient before and during the treatment, to verify how the combined effects of therapy and growth act. (AM J ORTHOD DENTOFAC ORTHOP 1994;106:257-66.)